Air-moistener.



W. WYAND.

AIR MOISTENER.

.APPLICATION FILED fea. 27, I9I5.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

guwnto@ attomu Irl/115.44144 Il 'UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WYAND, OF ABSECON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, T0 ABSECON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW`JERSEY.

AIR-MOISTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed February 27, 1915. Serial No. 11,026.

To all vwhom t 'may concern:

4Be it known that I, VViLLIAM VVYAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Absecon, in the county of Atlantic and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Moist-eners;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to attachments for gas engines and moreparticularly to engines driven by gas obtained from heavy hydrocarboncompounds; and it consists of means for introducing heated air and wateror steam into the power cylinders of the engines, whereby the deposit ofsolid carbon is prevented and the power of the engines is increased.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of an internalcombustion engine constructed with an attachment according to thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the mixing apparatus forair and water, drawn to a larger scale.

The power cylinder 2 of the engine is provided with an intake pipe 3 forthe combustible mixture, and an exhaust pipe 4 for the products ofcombustion. These parts are provided with inlet and exhaust valves ofany approved construction. When the engine has several power cylindersthey are provided with inlet and exhaust manifolds instead of separatepipes, and the attachment is applied to the manifolds.

The delivery pipe G of the attachment is passed throughthe exhaust pipeor manifold, and is connected tothe intake pipe or manifold. The mixingapparatus for air and water is provided with a cylindrical mixingchamber 7 having an outlet branch 8 at its lower part, which isconnected to the delivery pipe 6. An inlet branch 9 for water isprovided on the opposite side of the mixing chamber from the outlet 8,and has a water pipe 10 secured to it. This water pipe is connected toany convenient water supply or water tank.

A needle valve l2 is arranged crosswise of the passage in the inlet.branch 9, and slides vertically' in a guide 14. A lever 15 is pivoted ona pin 16 carried by a bracket 17 which is secured to the upper part ofthe mixing chamber 7, or to any other stationary support. One endportion of this lever 1s operatively connected with the stem 18 of theneedle valve. The stem 18 has a collar 19 secured on it, and a nut 20 isscrewed upon it. The end portion of the lever pro-A jects between thecollar and the nut, and the position of the nut is varied to regulatethe opening of the water valve. A jam nut 21 is arranged over the nut 2Oto prevent it from slipping.

The air valve 24 consists of a cylinder which is slidable vertically inthe upper part of the mixing chamber, and which forms the top portion ofit. Air inlets 25 and 26 are formed in the side walls of the chamber andvalve respectively, and the air is free to enter the mixing chamber whenthese air inlets are placed in connnunication with each other. The airinlets preferably consist of a plurality of small holes arranged atintervals around the parts. A rod 28 is secured in the top of the airvalve and its projecting upper end portion is pivoted to the other endportion of the lever 15 from the needle valve stem, by means of a pin29.

A lock or stop 30 is provided for holding the needle valve and air valveclosed. This stop is pivoted by a pin 31 t'o a bracket 32 on the mixingchamber, and engages with one end portion of the leve'r 15 as shown.lVhen the outerend of the pivoted lock is raised by hand, the lever isfreed, and the valves are free to operate automatically.

The rod 28 projects downwardly through the mixing chamber, and isslidable in an adjusting screw 35 which is screwed into the bottom ofthe mixing chamber. A spring 36 is arranged in a chamber in the screw 35between it and a collar 37 on the rod i8.' The screw 35 is provided toregulate the tension of the spring, and a jam nut 38 is provided on thescrew to prevent it from slipping. The spring 36 normally supports theair valve 24 in its raised position, as shown in the drawing, with theair inlets out of line with each other.

A diaphragm or screen 40 of perforated or foraininous material issecured in the lower part of the mixing chamber, between the air valveand the inlet and outlet branches, and a curved water spray pipe 41 isconnected to thewater inlet and projects upwardly through the diaphragmor screen 40.

The spring 36 is adjusted so that when the pressure in the engine intakepipe and in the mixing chamber is reduced below that of the atmosphere,by the suction of the engine piston, the air and water valves are bothopened automatically. The water in the form of spray and the air aremixed together in the mixing chamber, and are drawn through the deliverypipe 6 into the inlet pipe 3 or manifold, and thence into the enginepower cylinder or cylinders. The air and water are heated in the pipe 6by the heat of the products of combustion in the exhaust pipe, and thesteam from the water increases the power of the engine cylinder. The hotair and steam or water thus introduced into theY power cylinder arefound to prevent the deposit of solid carbon in the cylinder, and topromote the efficiency of the engine.

What I claim is:

l. The combination, with a mixing chamber provided with an air inletvalve which opens automatically when the pressure in said chamber isreduced below that of the atmosphere, of a valve for admitting water tothe said chamber to moisten the air therein, means for operating thewater valve from the air valve, and an outlet pipe for moistened airconnected to the mixing chamber.

2. The combination, with a mixing chamber, of an inlet valve for air andan inlet valve for water, and means for operatively connecting the saidvalves together, said valves being arranged to open automaticallywhenthe pressure in the mixing chamber is reduced below that of theatmosphere and operating to admit air to the chamber and to moisten ittherein.

with a mixing chamfor air and an inlet means for operatively conmeansfor atomizing the water within the v mixing chamber, to meisten the airtherein, after it has been admitted by the Water valve. v

4. The combination, with a mixing chamber, of an inlet valve for air andan inlet valve for water, means for operatively connecting the saidvalves together, and means for adjusting the opening of one valverelatively to the other, said valves being arranged t0 openautomatically when the pressure in the mixing chamber is reduced belowthat of the atmosphere and operating to admit air to the chamber and tomoisten it therein.

5. The combination, with a mixing chamber, of a piston valve slidabletherein and operating to admit air to the chamber when the pressuretherein is reducedvbelow that of the atmosphere, a valve for admittingwater to the chamber to moisten the air therein, means for operativelyconnecting the two valves together, and mechanism for closing the saidvalves automatically when the atmospheric pressure is restored.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM WYAND. Witnesses F. H. HENRY, JOHN RICE.

